Why Eye Protection?

Edge® Eyewear is committed to maximizing eye safety. This serious responsibility requires rigorous testing to ensure compliance with the highest national standards. Every pair of Edge® glasses is subjected to the toughest tests – because tough tests create tough glasses. When it comes to something as valuable as eyesight, we wouldn’t manufacture anything less than the best.

What are the statistics?
According to the Center for Disease Control, there are more than 10,000 eye injuries in North America every day. The Department of Labor has reported that 2,000 of these injuries require medical treatment and time off work, and the Bureau of Labor says 85% of these cases require up to 5 days off work. On the jobsite, 3 out of every 5 people who suffered an injury were not wearing any safety glasses at all because the glasses were “uncomfortable” or “unfashionable.” Many others were injured while wearing glasses that were not appropriate for their activity. The total amount of direct and indirect workers compensation claims for eye injuries exceeds 4 billion dollars each year. While it is not surprising that eye injuries happen on the jobsite, many are shocked learn that 63% of all eye injuries happen away from work; 47% at home and 16% while playing sports.

Who creates and enforces safety standards?
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private, non-profit organization that has created detailed safety standards by defining voluntary tests for safety eyewear. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) adopts and enforces these standards. Z87.1-2010 is ANSI’s most current standard for eye protection. We have added a “+” to our Z87.1 literature to indicate that we are compliant with the high impact level of the standard, which is referred to as "Z87+."

How does Edge Eyewear guarantee safe products?
To avoid improper safety evaluations and biases, all Edge Eyewear glasses are independently tested by professionals at COLTS Laboratories. Surprisingly, many safety eyewear manufacturers choose not to test their products, while others perform their evaluations in-house. These practices present a serious conflict of interest. The integrity of testing and reporting can be compromised, resulting in non-compliant and unsafe eyewear. Edge Eyewear’s frequent third party testing guarantees compliance with ANSI Z87.1-2010 standards and CSA Z94.3-07 standards.

How can you find compliant eyewear?
Before purchasing any safety eyewear, we advise you to ask for proof. The ANSI standard in Section 2.3.5 states: “The protector manufacturer shall provide test results to the purchaser upon request.” Companies that are serious about safety will have third party test results readily available. Any brand that cannot or will not provide these test reports should not be trusted.